Assembly Members of the New Juaben Municipal Assembly in the Eastern Region has for the third time failed to elect a Presiding Member to oversee activities of the assembly on Monday.

The incumbent, RapcharBotchway and his contender, Derrick Debrah, failed to acquire the constitutional two thirds votes needed to enable one of them to preside over the assembly.

After the voting process yesterday, the incumbent, RapcharBotchway polled 30 votes representing 60 per cent and Derrick Debrah polled 20 representing 40 per cent of the votes cast.

In all, 50 people including 34 assembly members, 15 government appointees and the Municipal Chief Executive voted at the meeting which occurred 10 days after the previous ones.

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of  NewJuaben, Mr Isaac Appaw-Gyasi was grateful to the assembly members for the show of democracy in the voting process.

He noted that per model standing orders of the house, there should be a last round of voting process to elect one of the candidates, adding that when that also failed the assembly would have to present fresh candidates to be voted for.

“Unfortunately, it is the understanding of some assembly members that the two of them should be step aside and new ones brought to be voted for after this third voting,” he said.

The MCE disagreed with the assembly members and hinted that the view of some lawyers had been sought “and the judge who was supposed to swear in the winner expressed same understanding as mine.”

Mr Appaw-Gyasi said there was the need to educate the assembly members on the subject matter to enable them to come together for the fourth time to elect a presiding member for the assembly.

He advised the assembly members to be united in voting for a PM as the lack of the PM would halt activities and development of the assembly.

Mr Appaw-Gyasi lamented that the continuous organisation of the voting process was draining the assembly of its resources, especially on funds used to organise such meetings and urged members to ensure that they were united to vote for a PM in the next sitting.

Earlier, on April 1, this year, the Assembly members failed to elect a PM.

After the first election which started at about 9:30a.m., RapcharBotchway polled 28 votes and MrDebrah polled 22 votes.

Both candidates, RapcharBotchway, the incumbent PM and Derrick Debrah his contender failed to acquire the constitutional two thirds votes needed to enable one of them to preside over the assembly.

In the second voting organised same day, RapcharBotchway polled 25 votes representing 50 per cent and Derrick Debrah also polled 25 votes also representing 50 per cent.

Thus both candidates failed to acquire the two thirds majority required to win as PM.

The Municipal Coordinating Director, Mr Edward Abazing, stated the need for the Assembly Members to bear in mind that the lack of a PM would affect the activities of the assembly.

He said Assembly Members should also bear in mind the consequences and come back in 10 days to do the needful.

For the intervention of the police, the elections at the assembly would have ended in a fight due to the misunderstanding that ensued during the voting.

Some members of the assembly were peeved with the process of the voting.

FROM AMA TEKYIWAA AMPADU AGYEMAN, KOFORIDUA